Manchester Marathon was the setting for the first instalment of the spring marathon season which many club members race in.
Manchester is a course which is renowned for a great course coupled with excellent organisation and support along the 26.2-mile route.
Last weekend John Hassan, Tom Mills, Ryan Bankhead and Peter Fleming were amongst more than 24,000 runners on the start line of the race.
These numbers make it the largest Spring marathon in the UK outside of London. The weather was ideal on the day with cold yet sunny conditions and most importantly very little wind to challenge the competitors.
First home in BRAC colours was John Hasson recording another sub 3 hours marathon (2:59:48). It's safe to say John's determination ensured he pushed hard over the finishing yards to duck under the 3-hour marker.
John Hasson (in blue)
Next over the line in club colours was Tom Mills, who had taken a hiatus from racing this distance for the last number of years. Tom who has broken 3 hours on several occasions for this distance set off from the start lined determined to enjoy the race and cruised home in a time of 3:14:48.
Next into the finishing area at Old Trafford cricket ground was Ryan Bankhead, one of our club members with a strong pedigree in cycling and more recently Ironman events. Ryan ran a perfectly paced run and crossed the line in 03:25:00.
Peter Fleming made a return to Manchester having last raced there in 2017 and was setting out to take a few minutes off his pb. That will need to wait for another attempt over the iconic distance after Peter crossed the line in 03:30:10.
Queens 5K
On Wednesday night Ballymena Runners had an impressive turnout at the high profile Queens 5K event.
The race started on the Annadale Embankment and finished outside the PE gates on the Stranmillis Embankment. The course followed a loop along both Embankments between the Ormeau and King’s Bridges.
Ballymena Runners at Queens
Individual times included; James Hamilton - 15:40, John Nicholson - 17:02, Kerry Bamber - 18:16, Eimear Nicholl - 18:34, Sharon Leetch - 18:36, Conor Crilly - 18:45, Sean Hasson - 18:57, Leon Dorrity - 19:23, Timothy Bamber - 19:36, Mark McCaul - 20:01, Louis Fleming - 20:09, Naomi Hutchinson - 20:55, Geraldine Quigley - 21:05, Sinead Scullion - 23:12, Billy Bamber - 24:56.
James Hamilton
In the overall team events the Ballymena women finished 3rd placed NI team and the men finishing just outside the top ten NI teams.
Leon Dorrity
Sean Hasson
Great performance by our men and women!
Glenarm Castle Challenge
On Saturday Ballymena Runners headed to the glens for the Glenarm Castle Challenge which offered a range of distances including the gruelling Half Marathon
The course included the castle estate offering runners a scenic mix of forest trails, farmland and views along the Glenarm river.
Ballymena Runners at Glenarm
In the Half Marathon club runners posted the following finishing times:
Judith Worthington 01:39:25, Declan Hassan 01:42:17, Nigel Bonar 01:47:03, Nigel Davidson 01:48:27, Elle Forrest-Reid 01:50:02, Stephen Reid 01:53:08, George Buckley 01:55:59, Denise Doherty 01:56:03, Noeleen McKillop 02:00:59, Pamela Davis 02:05:55, Sara Beggs 02.12.13, Brigid Quinn 02:21:53 and Lee Bore 02:31:55.
Roy White, Jim Weir, Vicki Dunn and Laura McMullan completed the 10K event.
George runs the ‘Castle to Castle’ Ultra!
George Buckley completed the Castle to Castle ultra race – covering 50k. George ran from Glemarm castle to Carrickfergus castle covering the Antrim hills with 60% of the course over off road terrain!
George Buckley